


A Family In All But Blood

by Maria_Goddamn_Hill



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Melinda May is Maria Hill's S.O, Peggy Carter is Melinda May's S.O, Strike Team Delta (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:47:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29807919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_Goddamn_Hill/pseuds/Maria_Goddamn_Hill
Summary: "Wait a second, you guys were on a team with Hawkeye and Black Widow?!" Skye squeal. "And ex-S.H.I.E.L.D Commander, Hardass Hill? How the HELL didn't we know it already???"May snorted."Hardass Hill, really?""That's what Simmons said everyone calls her." Skye sounds slightly sheepish.Slightly.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Melinda May, Clint Barton & Phil Coulson & Maria Hill & Melinda May & Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton & Phil Coulson & Melinda May, Maria Hill & Melinda May, Melinda May & Natasha Romanov, Phil Coulson & Melinda May
Kudos: 11





	A Family In All But Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, MCU and other related content don't belong to me.  
> Otherwise, Maria Hill would have had MUCH more presence, as well as other female friendship and shield metorship (such as Peggy-Melinda, etc).  
> Rated T for language (and just in case. I honestly wasn't sure).  
> This is likely develop into a series in the future, if I ever have enough time to write it.  
> Have fun!

**_“Just like so many other future partners, we met at the Academy. I guess it all started then.”_ **

**September 1st, 1981,**

**Melinda May & Phil Coulson**

Melinda scanned the crowd as they waited for Orientation to begin.

She knew from her Aunt Peggy that something had happened to S.H.I.E.L.D’s Operations Academy, which resulted in Ops cadets getting moved into S.H.I.E.L.D’s Communications Academy for the foreseeable future. Whether it was an accident or something else she was not allowed to know, but that wasn’t the point right then, and she was fairly sure she’ll be able to get the information later, provided she has the time.

She noticed there were about two hundred freshmen cadets sitting in the auditorium - roughly one hundred Comms cadets, and one hundred Ops cadets, if her estimations were correct.

She knew for sure that most of the Ops cadets would wash out by the end of the Academy’s four-year training program, so the even number of cadets from both academies wouldn’t last for long.

Melinda was only half listening as an agent gave a speech, instead opting to observe the people around her.

Most of the cadets were notably males and or white (of course), although there were some females and non-whites. 

Regardless of gender and ethnicity, most were between the ages of 20 to 25 - hence, older than her by at least three years.

Here the exceptions were few and far in between. She spotted a few cadets scattered around the room who looked like 19, and one who looked even younger - probably around 18, though she couldn’t be sure, but he was the youngest other than Melinda herself (standing just two months prior to 17).

Seemed like Aunt Peggy wasn’t exaggerating when she said she’d be their youngest recruit as of now, not that Melinda ever doubted her, but it was nice to know for herself.

Melinda’s attention got back to the agent giving the speech as he announced their rooming assignments (three cadets from Ops and three from Comms - something about testing whether letting cadets from both Academies be roommates will help them in working together, and therefore performing, better once they become full fledged agents, Melinda honestly didn’t care).

Her name was called for Room Number 8, so she stood up from her place and headed over to grab her envelope.

As she started to head out of the auditorium (everyone who’d been called up was allowed to leave), she checked the envelope’s content.

As expected, it had a key with number 8 on it. But it also had what Melinda assumed to be a map of the campus, as well as a schedule of her classes.

She decided she’ll look over them later, and headed over to the exit, where some of the other cadets were already starting to leave.

She found her room easily enough, and wasn’t too surprised to find out she wasn’t the first to get there.

She made her way through the room to where she found the bunks, taking note of everything around her as she walked past it, and storing it for future reference somewhere in the back of her mind.

To her surprise, she found out that the person who reached their room first was that young cadet she spotted back when she scanned the auditorium.

He had brown hair, and was taller than Melinda (not that it's a very hard thing to accomplish). He wasn’t very muscular though, and judging by his stance, he didn’t look like he was any good in hand-to-hand combat, so the reasons he was accepted to the Academy at such a young age (even if he was just between one to two years older than her) were different.

He stood with his back to her though, having claimed the left bunk closest to the window, and started unpacking, and it wasn’t as if Melinda was very loud as she approached the room.

“Hey.” to Melinda’s amusement, he almost jumped in surprise, his head snapping towards her instantly.

He had bright blue eyes that were both curious and startled.

“Oh, hi, I didn’t see you.” he admitted, his voice easy going and friendly.

“It’s okay.” she shrugged, because she can’t exactly tell him that she’d been practicing walking unheard her entire life (what can she say - sneaking out of the house when your Mother is a spy is damn hard, not even counting the rest of your extended family).

“Ah, are you a Comms cadet or Ops?” he asked shyly.

“Ops.” Melinda replied, a bit amused at his awkwardness. “You?”

“Comms.” he had said, as predicted. “My name is Phil Coulson, by the way.”

“Melinda May.” she shook his offered hand. “Nice to meet you.”

She put her duffle on the bunk opposite to his (right side of the room, closest to the window), and proceeded to organize her things up a little.

The rest of their roommates came in a few minutes after that.

A tall, black haired (long, with purple streaks) and sharp brown eyed woman (22, to Melinda’s best estimations) introduces herself as a Comms cadet by the name of Victoria “Call me Tory” Hand, entered the room, followed closely by another (significantly shorter) male Comms recruit by the name of Felix Blake (around 23).

The last two were the two Ops cadets left - a relatively tall and muscular man around 25 named John Garret, and a slightly shorter, though no less muscular, 21 year old female named Isabelle “Call me Izzy” Hartely - who were already arguing when they came in.

Garret made a few comments about Melinda’s age, gender, and size, unbelieving when she told him she’s Ops.

Melinda admittedly wasn’t too surprised, having been told to expect such things (not to even mention her own personal experiences thus far), but she wasn’t going to allow that kind of behavior, no matter her expectations, and especially not from someone who was supposed to be her _roommate_ for the foreseeable future.

She gave him a hard, cold glare, the kind of glare that could and had made people flinch and shiver in the past. (Aunt Peggy claimed she picked that up from her mother. Melinda wasn’t sure if it was an insult, or a compliment.)

“We have an hour off.” Melinda noted, her voice just as cold and distant as her glare, worlds apart from the easy going way she introduced herself, just seconds earlier. “That’s more than enough time for me to beat you up in a fight.”

“Is that a challenge?” Garret asked cockily, looking more amused than anything else.

“It most certainly is.” Melinda agreed, her eyebrows raised. “Why? Scared?”

Garret glared at her.

“As if.” He snorted.

“So, anyone knows where the training room is?”

Phil remembers his first day at the Academy well.

Especially, he remembers what a dick John was, and how well Melinda handled herself.

She was breathtaking when she talked him down, saying very few words (especially when compared to John), yet conveying so much with her silent body language and gestures.

She was even more impressive when she managed to live up to those promises - kicking John’s ass in the first few seconds of the fight (as one sided as it was) - because that was exactly what they were: promises. 

Not threats, empty or otherwise, not boasting, or anything of the kind.

They were simply promises, and even though Phil Coulson did not know it at the time, Melinda May honors her promises.

Needless to say, that day back in the Academy all those years ago became a start of a very beautiful friendship, which would quickly develop into partnership, and eventually, even something more.

* * *

**_"My first ever protege was Clint Barton.”_ **

**_“Wait, you trained Hakeye?!” Skye yelps._ **

**_“The one and only.” May replies sarcastically._ **

**November 7th, 1985**

** Melinda May & Phil Coulson & Clint Barton **

It was only about five months after they both graduated from the Academy at the top of their classes, but for Melinda and Phil it felt like forever.

True, they both managed to see each other a lot more often than anticipated, mostly due to their Supervising Officers working closely together (well, more like Phil’s S.O working right under Melinda’s, but there was no need to be picky), a fact they very much enjoyed, even if it did mean that Melinda had to spend more time in Garret’s company than she would like (with him having the same S.O as Phil and all).

With that being said, they were only just starting to get their own independent missions - an agent out in the field (whether a field agent, SciOps or a specialist, it doesn’t matter) had to accompany their S.O for their first few months out of the Academy during missions, and they were no exception.

Phil and Melinda were on one such mission on their own, having been assigned (again) as partners to go undercover in a fancy event with a bunch of rich (and highly questionable) people, posing as a couple and possible buyers to some drugs and weapons dealer, with the intention of finding incriminating evidence of said activities so S.H.I.E.L.D could put him and his associates behind bars, hopefully for good.

It was the type of mission Melinda loathed and Phil loved, but all in all it should’ve been fairly simple, and would not have posed much of a problem to the admittedly inexperienced, yet full of potential, two (young) agents.

But the intel had been significantly lacking, and the mission turned FUBAR way too fast, when their enemies turned out to be ready for them, and they had to fight their way out.

Melinda got shot in the leg when she pushed Phil out of harm’s way, and only just narrowly avoided another bullet in the ribs, getting slightly grazed in the process.

Phil himself got a couple of bruises, but wasn’t in too bad of a shape.

With that being said, Melinda was their heavy hitter, and the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D backup was half an hour away, not that they had any way to contact them, their comms signal being jammed and all.

They managed to get out of the large villa, but only barely, with Phil having to practically drag his partner away, before finding cover behind some cars and engaging in a firefight.

Just when they started to run out of bullets and Phil thought they were completely done for, their enemies ceased fire, confusion evident in all the yelling.

Melinda risked a quick look from behind their cover, only to find three arrows, each stuck out of three bodies of the previously shooting assailants, clearly dead.

She told Phil what she saw, and they started scanning the area for the source of the arrows.

They found him easily enough, standing on one of the nearby rooftops, bow in hand and already aiming another two arrows for his next targets.

Neither of them knew who he was, of course, but they weren’t about to complain about the relief, however temporary it may be.

Phil used the time to take down his tie and use it as a makeshift bandage to try and stop Meilnda’s bleeding leg, using his admittedly limited first aid knowledge (learned at the Academy, missions, and his S.O), because Melinda’s wounds may not have been fatal, but losing blood was never good, and she was in some significant pain.

Melinda has only the faintest idea of what happened next, but she knows that at some point, the arrow shooting guy, got out of arrows and down to the ground beside them.

She knows that when backup arrived, all opposition had been subdued and disabled, that she was safe, and that her partner somehow managed to talk the man (who turned out to be an ex-carny, independent merc, by the name Clint Barton) into tagging along with them for HQ, and maybe even into joining S.H.I.E.L.D as a recruit.

How he did it, she honestly couldn’t tell, but then again, Phil Coulson always managed to talk people into things they didn’t necessarily thought they wanted to do at first.

Clint did not expect to find two S.H.I.E.L.D agents at his latest target’s place.

He was certainly not expecting to find two injured S.H.I.E.L.D agents, who were fighting for their lives in the middle of what seemed more and more like an elaborated ambush.

And he never, ever expected he’d actually end up saving their lives, then fight alongside them, then get talked into agreeing to maybe join their organization by the male agent, who was absolutely, without doubt, the most idealistic, enthusiastic person Clint had ever met.

But it did happen, and Clint never did regret his choice - not even when it was revealed that said organization had been infiltrated by a bunch of Nazis from the very beginning.

Because Clint wanted to do good. To be good.

And if he hadn’t signed up when he did, Clint wouldn’t have found his team - both of them.

He wouldn’t have found his family in all but blood.

That alone is worth everything.

* * *

**_“Maria Hill joined the team next, becoming May’s first Rookie.” Coulson continues. “It was only a few years after we officially became STRIKE Team Delta, when Clint graduated from the Academy.”_ **

**_“Maria was exactly the type of agent the team needed.” Melinda shrugs._ **

**_“Someone to balance us all out, with passion for the job matched only by a few.”_ **

**February 4th, 1993**

**Melinda May & Maria Hill**

Melinda had first heard of Maria Hill from her Aunt Peggy.

Peggy and Melinda had always had an encrypted line - the best S.H.I.E.L.D and Howard had to offer - which they used mainly for emergencies or exchanges of information.

So when Melinda received a message on their line saying that: _“Do yourself a favor, the next time you go to Operations Academy, pay special attention to one Maria Hill. You won’t regret it.”_ she listened.

She made sure to access her files first, trying to find out the reasons behind Peggy’s message and it’s subsequent meaning.

At the end, she decided to go to the Academy and see for herself, like Peggy had suggested. Because Peggy was a very hard person to impress and Melinda knew that better than most. Anyone who could not only impress her but also make Peggy actually come and tell Melinda about it, was someone worth seeing.

As expected, Peggy turned out to be right, Maria Hill was a sight to behold.

Melinda shadowed her for about a week, noticing her very few friends and somehow larger (yet still containable) number of foes.

However, whether you liked, or even loved, Maria Hill, or you hated her guts, every single one of her instructors had an opinion about her.

None of the usually highly experienced, professional, and totally badass S.H.I.E.L.D agents could stay indifferent about this extremely young, ex-Marine, brilliant cadet.

None could deny that she was excelling, nor that she was absolutely the best of her class.

And so Melinda May followed her. 

Observed as she put in extra training in the range, watched as she spent more time in the library than any Operation cadet could ever claim (Melinda was privately of the mind that even Phil would have a hard time competing with her on that front). 

Melinda even talked to her instructors, and to her Aunt - apparently Peggy and Daniel had all but adopted the young woman as their own, without yet even acknowledging the fact. 

Melinda suspected she would end up having to point that out eventually, but for now she was content to watch.

She kept tubs on her until a few years later, noticing with some admiration as the young woman managed to prank pretty much every single one of the Academy’s inhabitants (including the agents) without being detected by the numerous security cameras, nor by anyone else.

Finally, she felt that Maria had learned everything she possibly could from the Academy.

It was only two and a half years in, but there were very few things Melinda herself couldn’t teach her, or that she couldn’t learn better from experience.

Melinda had talked with her two teammates - because this would be a decision that would affect them all - and with the then newly promoted Director Fury (Peggy having officially retired by now).

All that was left was finally getting the chance to personally talk to Maria Hill herself.

Melinda waited for Maria Hill to finish her rounds, sitting and watching from behind the one-way glass at the soundproofed observation room of the range.

Thanks to her previous observations, she knew for a fact that Hill would be done any time, but she was content to watch until that happened.

Hill’s technique had improved significantly from the last time Melinda came to see her in person. 

Not that it was surprising, since even with the talents she displayed last time, Melinda wouldn’t have pegged her to be _“able to give Hawkeye a run for his money, using a gun”_ , as S.H.I.E.L.D’s rumor mill had been pegging her at the time. 

Well, Melinda knew Clint, and even she had to admit Hill was good.

She imagined what Hill would be able to do given some pointers from Hawkeye himself.

As Hill was finishing putting the gear back in place, Melinda made her way out of the observation room using the hidden door - a door the cadets weren’t generally aware existed, just like they generally weren’t aware the room it led to existed.

Maria Hill didn’t look surprised when said door was opened, though.

Melinda wasn’t surprised in the slightest - considering all the time the younger woman spends in the range, it would have been embarrassing if she didn’t know about it.

Hill did, however, look slightly surprised when she noticed just _who_ came out of the room.

Which, Melinda knew even then, meant she must’ve been really and truly surprised, since she had never been one to show much emotion when she didn’t intend to.

She also looked slightly suspicious, but Melinda felt that was only natural.

“Cadet Hill.” It was a statement, but Hill answered it nonetheless.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Melinda simply gestured for her to follow, and did not turn around to check if she did.

She didn’t need to.

When Melinda started using the familiar way to climb up to _that_ corner of the roof, Hill didn’t show any surprise - not at the fact that it was there, nor at the fact that Melinda knew it was there - simply following her silently.

That place was certainly the best place to talk - no eyes (those of the instructors, or those of the cadets), and the wind covered up noise, as long as they didn't yell.

They sat silently on the edge for several minutes, Melinda staring straight ahead at the views she so often enjoyed when she herself was a young cadet. 

It had been what? Eight years? Since she’d graduated…

It seemed so much longer, and yet it also seemed like it was only yesterday that she and Phil (who ended up staying in Operations Academy more often than not after it was reopened - everyone knows Comms cadets interact with the different Academies more than anyone) had climbed here to talk quietly amongst themselves, or simply sit in silence whenever things down there got a bit too much.

Finally, Melinda started talking.

“You have my family’s attention, Hill.” her voice was quiet when she spoke, and she was still not looking at Hill. “Peggy. Daniel. Tony. Sharon. Antoine. Even Howard, for the short time you’d known him. And there are more, although they mostly keep to the shadows. That’s why you got my attention.” Only then did she look at her, and her gaze was intense. “Because when Peggy Carter tells you to pay attention to a cadet, you do as she says. The reason you still have my attention is because of you, and that’s the reason you have the attention of my team, have no doubt. With that being said, I need you to tell me one thing, Hill, and I want you to think - really think - before you answer.”

Hill nodded seriously, listening attentively to everything Melinda had told her.

“I need to know: why did you join S.H.I.E.L.D, even after everything you’ve been through before? And why did you stay?”

Hill wasn’t surprised when Melinda hinted that she knew her history.

Good. Melinda would have thought less of her if she was.

Hill thought for a few whole minutes, and Melinda let her because she had meant what she said.

“I joined because I have been convinced S.H.I.E.L.D would be the best place to utilize my skills. That they don’t need soldiers who obey orders mindlessly, but agents who think for themselves. Because after everything that’s happened, I thought - still do - that protecting America’s best interest is not what I want to do in life, but protecting humankind might just be it.” Her voice was quiet as well, but it was also firm and determined, and Melinda knew she chose right. “I stayed because I realized it’s all true.”

She didn’t say what both of them knew to be true: she also stayed because of the family - both of their family, even though Hill wasn’t born into it like Melinda was.

But Melinda didn’t press for the admission.

What she got was more than enough.

They sat there in silence for another moment, before Meilnda turned to face Hill completely, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“In that case, I have a proposition for you.” Melinda finally said. “What do you think about joining my team?”

* * *

**_“Clint brought Natasha into S.H.I.E.L.D about 6 months later.” Coulson states. “Anyone who was a part of the organization at the time would tell you how much of a mess that was.”_ **

**_“Maria and I were away on assignment when that happened.” Melinda agrees with a half shrug. “Let’s just say that practically no one was happy at the situation. Even Coulson was skeptical.”_ **

**_“All it took was Melinda coming back and bursting unauthorized into the high security cell Natasha was placed in.”_ **

**_“You can’t be serious?!” Skye exclaims._ **

**August 9th, 1993**

**Melinda May & Natasha Romanoff**

Melinda and Maria weren’t allowed any outside communications whilst on their previous mission, meaning that when they finally came back to base, neither of them had any idea what happened to turn S.H.I.E.L.D around from the insides out.

Melinda had been in S.H.I.E.L.D for just over a decade by then, and while she’d seen some crazy stuff happen (including hearing first hand stories about shapeshifting aliens, participating in crazy missions to save the world from crazy scientists, and other such nonsense), but up until that point, it never quite came down to actually shocking the organization as a whole.

A few agents, here and there? Sure. All the time.

A few of the more senior agents? Once or twice, maybe. Depending on the person.

But the whole goddamn organization?

Never.

Needless to say, Melinda was intrigued.

More than that, she was worried, because _how the actual hell could that even happen?_

 _What could even cause such a thing?_

Nothing she could think of, that’s for sure.

So when she had heard Barton’s name being whispered repeatedly in the corridors, she went in pursuit.

“So,” she had said after she found him on the roof (Clint, just like Maria and herself, tended to go to high places whenever he was upset - or simply wanted to be alone). “Want to tell me why you brought her in?”

She’d managed to gather that much while she made her way up here, Maria long gone to a meeting with one friend or another.

“She’s not what everyone else thinks.” he said. “And she wants a way out. I thought I could give it to her, Mel. I hope I could.”

“To the Black Widow?” Melinda’s tone was a matter of fact.

She’d heard the stories, of course, but it was more than that.

She’d heard stories from her Aunt, about a special er… school in Russia. How one of those supposed children had killed a Howling Commando, and managed to injure her Uncle Dum Dum.

She’d heard about the adult woman, too.

Dottie Underwood.

One of the only opponents Peggy had ever underestimated in her life. 

And see how well that turned out.

But Clint shook his head.

“To Natasha Romanoff.” he had said, looking at her with his intense, knowing gaze. “Look, Mel, you and Phil gave me a second chance. You showed me I was doing something wrong, even though I didn’t know it at the time. I believe Nat deserves the same.”

“We were able to give you that chance because you actually wanted it.” Melinda pointed out. “Are you sure she does?”

“I think that if we show her it’s a possibility, she would want it too.” he sounded so sure of himself, and Melinda remembered a different part of Peggy’s story.

The part about how they, the Black Widows, likely never had a choice.

About how Dottie Underwood slept cuffed to a bed.

And she made her choice.

“I’ll talk to her.” she promised Clint as she left.

“That’s all I ask.”

It took Melinda under ten minutes to get from the roof to one of the most secured cells at the lower floors of the Triskelion.

She got into the observation room effortlessly, and none of the guards interfered, which told her that Nick was expecting her to come, and didn’t want to stop her.

She watched through the one way glass for a few minutes, Romanoff looking slightly bored and very out of place.

She looked like she was drifting, and Melinda recognized the look on her face, but couldn’t quite place from where.

Still, Melinda had barely seen it herself, and would have had bet that not many others could.

Finally, she made her way decisively for the door to the cell, and it opened without a problem.

Melinda made her way into the room, letting the door close behind her.

Natasha Romanoff - the Black Widow - turned to look at her from her place on the bed, although Melinda was sure she knew the second she opened the door.

“Are you here to interrogate me?” Romanoff asked after a moment of silent staring contest.

Melinda’s lips twitched slightly, but she got that under control faster than you could blink.

“I’m here to ask you one question.” she told her simply. “Why did you let Barton take you in?”

Romanoff looked at her blandly, staying silent.

Melinda could outwait her. Silence was her fortress.

Whatever she was searching for, Romanoff must have found it, because when he answered, she sounded genuine enough.

“Because he should have killed me, but he didn’t.”

Melinda waited.

“He should have killed me, but he didn’t, and the other guy - Coulson - didn’t kill either of us, too. Even though he really should have.”

Ah.

Melinda had heard enough from Peggy about the Red Room, not to mention she had enough experience with the KGB on her own missions, to know it was that fact that not only intrigued Romanoff, but also completely threw her off, because it was so different from anything she was likely to ever experience before, even though she’d been a freelancer for a at least a year already (if Clint and their intel were anything to go by).

“Clint made a different call.” Melinda shrugged. “The most he would suffer for it, if it turned out to be a bad one, would be getting fired, or, at worse, jail time. Phil certainly wasn’t going to shoot him, or you, on sight, even if he did disagree.”

Melinda let Romanoff take the new information in before she continued.

“Both of them are my teammates.” Melinda informed Romanoff finally. “Clint is a very good judge of a character, though, and he was the one who met you first. He seems to believe that you deserve a second chance, regardless of what anyone else might think. The question is, do you want one?”

Even though Romanoff looked somewhat puzzled at everything Melinda had told her, she still understood exactly what Melinda was offering, and she didn’t hesitate.

“I do.”

“Then I’ll make sure you get one.” 

It was a promise, and Melinda always fulfills her promises.

* * *

**_“Skye, remember how you guys didn’t become a true team until after the mission with Reyes?” Coulson asks._ **

**_She nods, because she definitely does._ **

**_They were a complete mess, that first (or second, to anyone other than her) mission._ **

**_“Well, it took us a while to become a true team, too.” Coulson explains. “And you can bet it took a lot longer than a single mission.”_ **

**_“Missions build trust.” May agrees. “But they don’t take care of every single issue, especially with a bunch of highly paranoid agents, all of whom have serious trusting issues.”_ **

** Melinda May & Phil Coulson & Clint Barton & Maria Hill & Natasha Romanoff **

It took them a while to truly become a team.

After a member joined, it always took some time to acclimate to the addition, of course.

Clint and Maria both had serious trust issues, naturally, so the situation was fairly similar in both cases, although it was also very much different in some aspects.

The situation really got complicated, though, right after Natasha joined.

Clint was the one to bring her in, of course, and Melinda vouched for both of them. This led to Phil trusting Natasha, because he trusted the two of them, but that still didn’t make Maria trust her.

As a matter of fact, it actually made Maria distrust her even more.

On principle, if nothing else.

So when Maria asked to talk to her after Natasha passed through all of those tiring examinations, and tests, and interrogations (during which she gave everything she remembered willingly, from names to locations, to past missions), and was finally cleared for field work, as long as she worked with Delta (Fury’s condition, naturally), she was allowed to do so, so they could have at the very least developed some basic trust.

No one other than the two of them and Fury ever knew what was said (and that is likely to stay that way), but by the end of that conversation, they reached an understanding of sorts.

It still took them a long time to actually trust each other, but at least Maria allowed Natasha to earn that trust, just like she went on to earn hers.

Despite what most of S.H.I.E.L.D seemed to believe, Delta did not just form overnight.

It was a long and tiring prospect, although everyone involved would agree it was completely worth it.

The road **was** a bumpy one, for sure, none of them would argue about that statement. 

But when it was finally over, and they did manage to trust each other, to become a team, that trust had always been one of the most precious things to each and every one of them.

Because they didn’t just become a team.

They became a family, if a rather messy and unconventional one, but a family nonetheless.

And none of them would never, ever regret it.

**Author's Note:**

> It's my first time posting at AO3, so if you guys can give me some feedback that would be great.  
> Otherwise, I hope y'all enjoyed!


End file.
